Join us for Heritage Open Days
Saturday 17 September 2022
Booking essential
 Come along and see behind the scenes of our stored museum collections. Meet the experts, try out hands-on activities and view our amazing collections!
Visit our museum stores and take time to view our fascinating stored collections of Staffordshire social history, costume, art and rural life.
Pick up a trail sheet to help you explore, try out object handling and craft activities or bring along your photos of Staffordshire people and places to add to our collection at our digi drop in stand.
This is a self guided visit but staff and volunteers will be hand to highlight our treasures, direct you around our site and answer any questions.
From the collections
 The Stafford Family at Prayer 1537
Working on a photography order recently, I rediscovered this colourful page in the ‘Great Cartulary’ of Lord Stafford (SRO D(W)1721/1/1). The images show lords and ladies of the Stafford family kneeling in prayer and covered in ornate heraldry displaying their family lineage.
The drawings were taken from figures depicted in a stained glass window at Elford Church, dating from 1537 – right in the reign of Henry VIII.
Meet the team
 Sarah with her favourite item in the museum collection, an 18th century silk gown (67.056.0001)
In January we were joined by Sarah English in the role of Engagement and Access Manager. Now she has settled in properly we have pinned her down to answer our 'Meet the team' questionnaire!
What does your role involve?
I lead our brilliant engagement team and we are responsible for sharing stories and connecting our visitors and service users with our collections; this including digital engagement, partnerships, volunteering, school and family learning and public programmes. Our work bridges the gap between people and objects or documents. An important part of my role is to ensure we are doing everything we can to be more inclusive and accessible for as many people as possible.
I also get to be very hands on, which I love, so you might see me running public activities, speaking at events and giving tours.
When did you start working with the Archives and Heritage Service?
I joined the service in January 2022 but have worked in the heritage and museum sector for over 10 years. I did my school work experience with the service (many years ago – more years than I would want to count!) and I also volunteered on archive and museum projects with the service after university.
What made you choose this career?
I have always loved history and museums. Being part of a team that preserves history and then shares it and brings it to life for people is my dream job – I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It feels like a real privilege to work with our collections and share them with people.
What is your favourite object or document or photograph from the collection?
Everything in the costume store is just fascinating but my favourite is a dress I researched as a volunteer. It is an incredibly brightly coloured 18th century gown and I’m fascinated by how well it has survived. I grew up in Gnosall so I love seeing any old photographs or maps of the village too.
What is your most memorable moment about working for the Service?
I haven’t been here very long but I have been made very welcome. It has been great working with some familiar team members again and I’m excited to be contributing to the Staffordshire History Centre project and bringing my skills back to the service where it all started.
In my career I’ve had lots of funny and memorable moments – terrifying some Lake District tourists when in historical costume because I looked too ghostly, nearly getting locked in the Ancient Egyptian gallery full of mummies on Halloween, meeting illustrating Axel Scheffler and getting a bespoke Gruffalo picture drawn and spending a summer digging up dinosaurs from a giant sandpit when Dippy visited Birmingham.
Away from work, do you have a hidden talent or special skill?
Outside of work I’m a keen WI member and have learnt lots of new skills there, including giving history talks online which I have really enjoyed. I make handmade watercolour greeting cards which is an extension of a lockdown hobby.
Eastgate House 'shorts'
|
Our team of staff and volunteers continue to enjoy exploring our new temporary lodgings at Eastgate House whilst the Staffordshire History Centre is under construction.
Ornate ceiling rose in the paneled room - The property was bought by Thomas Benson Elley in 1839. He carried out major refurbishments to the interior, installing gas lighting and a bathroom with running water from a roof tank.
|
|
 |
|
